Crosstie



Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES GEORGE C. CHRISTNER, 0F RIVESVILLE, WEST VRGINIA.

cRoss'rIE.

Application meld March s, 1927.. serial No, 173,721;

This invention pertains to a cross tie for railroads, and particularly refers to a cross tie adapted for use with the railroads employed in mines and similar places, the obect being to Aprovide such a .cross tie which will hold the ends of the rails together without slipping and which will, however, permit the ready adjustment of the gage `of the track while preventing spreading of the rails.

rlhe invention also seeks to provide a device of this kind which will remain in the position in which it is placed.

The invention also has the advantages that the mine cars are made much lower, making the loading of the cars more easily accomplished. Also there is the advantage that there are no obstructions between the rails so that if horses or mules are used as motive power for the cars there will be no obstruction in their path. Further, there is produced by the present invention a tie which is practically immovable when secured in position, which is of importance since there is no ballast employed between the rails upon which mine cars operate.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 Vrepresents a perspective of the tie forming the subject matter of the present invention,

Figure 2 shows a cross section through the tie and rails,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Figure 4 shows the invention applied to a rail, .the so called fish platel being removed; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective of the fish plate used.

It will be seen from the drawings that the tie is constructed of two rail joint clamp portions and cooperative parts exactly similar, united by a cross piece 10, therefore only one of these clamps will be described, it'being considered that the other is an exact duplicate thereof. The invention consists of a cross piece 1G having each of its opposite end portions upwardly and inwardly bent, as at 11, to form an inwardly opening channel for the seating within the same of the outer ,adjacent flange portions of the adja cent ends of the rails a and b, and then is bent beyond the channel in a manner to provide a vertical portion orwall 12 lying parallel to the outer faces of the web portions of the rails a and b. The cross piece or tie 10 isv preferably formed with strengthen# ing flanges 13 depending from its opposite side edges, and coextensve with the latter prior to the forming at its opposite ends of the channels 11 and the vertical walls 12. A sh plate,` or the like, ll vis preferably interposed between the outer facesl ofA the web portions of the adjacent rail ends a; and Z2, and the inner-opposed face of the vertical wall 12 of the cross piece or tie 10. YVV 'nen properly lpositioned on the cross piece or tie 10, the adjacent ends of the rails a; and. rest upon its upper face, with their abutting point disposed in the plane of the longitudinal center thereof. The length of the cross piece 10 between the channels 11 and the vertical wall portions 12 is to be made to correspond to a predetermined gaugeof track, and the opposite track rail sections will `be accurately spaced to the selected gauge, when complemental rail ends are abutted against the fish plates lt placed at the inner sides of the vertical portions 12 of the cross piece or tie 10.

A .cooperative clamp member is provided for each end of the cross piece or tie 10, and

this comprises a vertical portion 15, inwardly through which is threaded a screw or the like 16, which, when movedA inwardly toward the rail joint, bears against the outer face of the vertical end portion 12 of the cross piece or tie 10. This `vertical portion 15 rises from the outer connected edge of a bottom wall-17, which extends inwardly beneaththe adjacent end of the cross piece or tie 10, and has a slotway. 18, extending through the same in line with the longitudinal center of the cross piece or tie l0, engaged by a guide member 19, ldepending from the under side of the latter. 'lhis slot and guide arrangement allows for relative movement of the cross piece or .tie 10 and the clamp into and out of rail joint clamping or securing engagement. A central portion of the inner edge .of the bottom wall 17, ofthe `clamp member', is cut away, as lat 20., to provi-de oppositely disposed portions, each bent upwardly and outwardly toward the vertical wall 15 into the form of hooks or lugs 21. These hooks or lugs 21 are spaced apart sufficiently to project upwardly at the opposite sides of the cross piece or tie 10, and are to be engaged yover the inner flange portions .of the adjacent ends of the rails a and b. The clamp member is also flanged, as at l22, at the opposite side edges of the vertical portion 12 and the bottom portion or wall 17 thereof for reinforcement or strengthening purposes. v

Each of the lish plates 14 is preferably formed to provide a pair otoutwardly directed lugs 14', formed angularlyof the op posite ends of its lower edge, and the same engage the opposite side edges of the bent portions or' the cross piece or tie 10 forming the channels 11, while a second pairof lugs 14 are projected inwardly from the opposite end edges of the lish plate 14 tor en,- gagement in apertures formed in the rail portions a and b for their reception. This coupling ot the rail ends together through the medium ot the lug connections of the fish plates therewith, prevents any possible relative longitudinal movements of the rail sections, other than which may be incident to temperature changes, when the sh plates will have practically the same expansion and contraction l'actors as that ot' the rails themselves. 1t is to be noted that a nut 23 is threaded onto the clamp'screw 16, but is abutted against the inner tace of the vertical wall 15 of the clamp, when the screw 16 is moved into clamping relation against 'the outer tace of the vertical end or wall portion l2 of the cross piece or tie 10, so as to pre# vent accidental loosening up or the screw 16 throughout its operative use.

From the foregoing, it will be readily obvious that when it is desired to lay a track, the screws 16 willbe threaded to outwardly disposed positions in the vertical walls 12 oi' the oppositely arranged clamp members, and the latter will then bemoved inwardly on the complemental ends otl the Y cross piece or tie 10. This action will space the hooks or lugs 21, on each clamp, inwardly from the vertical walls 12 and readily allow for the rail ends a and b to be positioned on the cross piece or tie 10, withY their outer flange portions engaged in the channel 11, and the interposing ot the ish plates 14 between the web portions of these rail ends and the vertical end walls 12. Now, by

turning the screws 16 inwardly until their inner ends press against the vertical walls 12 of the cross piece or tie 10, the clamp members will be drawnor forced outwardly of the opposite ends of the latter, and the hooks or lugs 21 will be tightly engaged over the inner lange'port-ions ofthe rail ends a and ZJ when the parts will be securely clamped together, and any and all relative movement of these parts, under any and all conditions of use, will be positively prevented, until it is desired to separate the parts for repair, replacement or removal.

Without further description, itis thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent 'to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes inthe form, proportion and minor details ot construction may be resorted to, without departing 'from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed. j v Y I claim Y l. A rail tie comprising a cross member disposed beneathrthe abutting ends ot ad jacent rail 'sectionswand having upwardly directed end portions engaging the outer sides otthe adjacent rail ends, lish plates interposed between the upwardly directed end portions of said cross member and the opposed sides of the adjacent rail ends, and

clamping means mounted for relative movement on the ends ot said cross member' and having outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides ot the adjacent rail ends outwardly ofthe opposite side edges of the cross member and cooperative with the said rail engaging' portions or the said cross member tor securing the adjacent rail ends therebetween.

2. A rail tie comprising a cross member disposedL beneath the abutting ends of ad- 'acent rail sections and havin9- unwardlv l s l J directed end portions engagingthev outer sides or' the adjacent rail ends, iish plates interposed between the upwardly Ydirected end portions ot said cross Vmember and the opposed sides ot the adjacent rail ends and having portions engaging openingsY inthe latter, and clamping means mounted tor relative movement onv the outer ends of said cross member and having outwardly extend ing portions engaging the inner sides ot the adjacent rail ends at the opposite sides oit Vthe cross member and cooperative with the latter, clamping members mounted for relative movement on the outer ends of'said cross member-and having outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides of the adjacent rail ends, and means carried by said clamping members and cooperative with the outer sides ot the upwardly'di- Y rected portions ot the said cross member for moving the said clamping vmembers outvwardly of the said cross inember for the clamping ot the adjacent rail ends-and the said lish .plates securely between the saidv upwardly directed portionsy of the said cross member and the inner rail end engaging portions ofthe saidclamping members.

4. A rail tie comprising'a cross member disposed beneath the abutting ends of adjacent rail sections and having upwardly directed end portions engaging the outer sides of the adjacent rail ends, fish plates disposed between th'e outer sides of said rail sections and the opposed end portions of said crossA member, clamping members mounted for relative movement on the outer ends of said cross member and having outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides of the adjacent rail ends, means carried by said clamping members and cooperative with the outer sides of the upwardly directed portions of the said cross member for moving the said clamping members outwardly of the said cross member for the clamping of the adjacent rail ends and the said sh plates securely between the said upwardly directed portions of the said cross member and the inner rail and engaging portions of the said clamping members, and cooperative guide means connecting the said clamping members in position on the complemental ends of said cross member.

5. A rail tie comprising a cross member disposed beneath the abutting ends of adjacent rail sections and having upwardly directed end portions engaging the outer sides of the adjacent rail ends, i'ish plates interposed between tlie upwardly directed end portions of said cross members and the opposed sides ot the adjacent rail ends and having portions engaging openings in the latter, clamping members mounted for relative movement on the outer ends of said cross member and having outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides of the adjacent rail ends, means carried by said clamping members and cooperative with the outersides of the upwardly directed portions of the said cross member for moving the said clamping members outwardly of the said cross member for the clamping of the adjacent rail ends and the said fish plates securely between the said upwardly directed portions of the said cross member and the inner rail end engaging portionsv of the said clamping members, and cooperative guide means connecting the said Aclamping members in position on the coinpleinental ends of said cross member.

6. A rail tie comprising a cross member extending between and disposed beneath the rail sections at the opposite sides of a track and having upwardly directed end portions engaging the outer sides of the rails, clamping means mounted for relative movement on the opposite ends or" said cross member and having outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides of the rails outwardly of the opposite side edges ofthe cross member and cooperative with the said rail engaging portions of said cross member for securing the rails therebetween, and means for securing said clamping means in their operative positions.

7. A rail tie comprising a cross member extending between and disposed beneath the abutting ends of adjacent rail sect-ions at the opposite sides of a track and having upwardly directed end portions engaging the outer sides of the adjacent rail ends, clamping means mounted for relative movement on the opposite ends of said cross member and have outwardly extending portions engaging the inner sides of the adjacent rail ends outwardly ot the opposite side edges of the cross member and cooperative with the said vrail engaging portions ofsaid cross memberl GEORGE o. oHRisTNER. 

